by Regan Claire
“Oh, it’s really not as bad as it looks. Most of these are just suggestions, and a lot of it you can do yourself. You already knew that the stairs need tending to, and the windows. There’s only one spot on the floor that needs replacing. Of course, depending on what the electrician and plumber say, that could add quite a few more dollars. And you’ll probably need a new HVAC unit—this one is at least 20 years old,” he said, as if that were good news.
“You aren’t making me feel better.”
“Oh, you’ll be fine. Good thing about a town like this, I know people who can help out, let you do some of the labor to offset the price. That’s what usually ends up costing so much, labor. I can order most of the supplies through my shop, so don’t you worry about that-“
“You’ve already done entirely too much for me, I can’t let you give me stuff from your store.”
“You really need to learn not to interrupt. I was going to tell you that I could order everything for you at the shop for a pretty good discount, if you wanted to work a few afternoons to pay off the difference. It’s tourist season and we get pretty busy over the weekends, and since I haven’t had the chance to hire anyone yet this summer you’d be doing me a favor.”
His offer wasn’t something I could easily say no to. It sounded like the perfect solution. Luke was being so helpful, too helpful. My instincts told me to trust him, but they also told me he was hiding something. I decided to take him up on his offer, but remain wary until I found out what his secret agenda was.
Luke had to go back to work and open the shop, but before he left he handed me the cleaning things he’d promised.
I, however, did not spend my day cleaning. What was the point when some of the floor would need to be replaced? Instead I decided to do what any eighteen-year-old would do: go to the beach. Washing up the best I could with a washrag and bottled water, I pulled on a pair of cut-off shorts and a blue tank top, shoved my flip-flops into my back pack that I used as a purse, and headed out the door hoping to get to the other side of the island and see the ocean.
You’d think that walking across an island would take a while, but only about 15 minutes later I could hear the waves. I remembered then that Luke had said the island was less than a mile wide. I would have known that if I had checked out a map before moving, but I somehow never got lost so I wasn’t worried about it. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised to make it there so fast.
Before taking a full look at the ocean, I stopped into a surf shop and grabbed a bathing suit, something I’d not had since I was a kid. They were more expensive than I expected so I just grabbed the cheapest one I could find, changing into it in the restroom before heading across the street and getting my first good view of the Atlantic.
Thank goodness for my flip-flops, because the sand was really friggin’ hot and even my toughened feet couldn’t handle the heat. When I reached the surf I immediately took them off, mesmerized by the beautiful sight ahead of me. I just stood there with my toes sinking into the coarse, shell-ridden sand as the waves lapped at my feet, the water so much warmer than my memories of the Pacific. Tearing my eyes away from the horizon, I walked away from the water, shimmied out of my shorts, and plunked my backpack in the sand. There were definitely people around, and I was wary of leaving my things unattended, but I needed to get into that water. It was calling to me, just like my old redwood would call to me in California, but infinitely stronger.
The surf hugged my legs as I walked deeper and deeper into the ocean. When the water reached my thighs, I dove into the next wave and let the water push me to a standing position. With the salty taste of the Atlantic on my tongue, the sound of the waves crashing around me, and the feel of the breeze on my soaked skin, I felt something I had never experienced before; I felt that I had come home. I was more energized, more alive, and more aware than I’d ever been before. It was a heady experience.
Of course I didn’t get to bask in that wonderful feeling for long before I realized I’d had a serious wardrobe malfunction. Diving into a wave in a halter one-piece has consequences. Thank goodness I was facing the horizon, otherwise a beach full of people would have gotten a good look at my, er, goodies. After I adjusted my suit I swam out a little further and just let myself float, rocked by the small swell of waves before they broke.
With the feel of the ocean’s power on my back, and the warm sun on my face, I started to relax, probably for the first time in my life. It was nice to just exist, and at that moment I had no concerns, other than periodically checking to make sure my swim-suit was still where it belonged. Occasionally water would splash over my face, and I’d wipe my eyes to get the sting out, but other than that I didn’t really move for ages.
Eventually I entered into some sort of trance; my body seemed to feel more, like the waves were going inside of me, and the sun and sky above me seemed brighter, as if I had removed sunglasses, except I wasn’t wearing any to begin with. I was more awake, yet relaxed to the point of dozing off, and just more aware. It’s a little hard to explain exactly, other than to say I felt like Myself with a capital M.
When my feet finally started dragging in the sand I reluctantly stood up and got out of the water. I kicked myself for not bringing a towel and had to air dry as I walked down the beach to where my things were. My eyes were acting a little funny, because things still looked strange, especially the people on the beach, but I just assumed it was the salt water affecting them in a strange way.
In addition to things just being brighter than I was used to my body felt strange. My feet tingled from the sand, but this time it wasn’t the heat. It was like my feet were drinking the sand, and the sensation spread to my skin and it felt like it was drinking the air. Pretty soon even my hair felt that way. You know that full feeling you get after drinking a lot of water? I felt like that, but instead of water it felt like I had drunk sunshine.
I promise I’m not crazy.
I finally got to my pile of things, scooped them up, then headed over to the outdoor shower to wash sand off my legs and feet, which reminded me that I hadn’t properly bathed since the morning before. Even though my swimsuit was still soaked, I slid on my shorts and took one last look at the ocean before heading back to the house.
Perfectly outlined on the horizon was a man standing knee-deep in the water. Typically I wouldn’t have paid him any attention, but he was standing in the water while wearing a pair of dark colored pants and a matching shirt, definitely not swim wear, and he seemed to be looking straight at me. I looked away for a moment, trying to figure out why his face seemed so familiar, but when I looked again he had disappeared.
Figuring my eyes were just playing tricks on me, I started down the street still holding onto the relaxed sensation I had gained while floating in the ocean. I wasn’t in any particular hurry, and I wondered why my skin still felt funny before rationalizing that it was just an early symptom of sunburn since I hadn’t used any sunscreen. I was even more satisfied with this explanation when the strange feeling started slowly to subside as I continued to walked.
The walk took longer than necessary since I was using the time to think really hard about my uncle’s offer to live with them. I wanted an excuse to say no, any excuse, but I didn’t really have one. Plus, there were a million reasons why I should, including a few big ones: my house was basically unlivable for the near future, I couldn’t afford somewhere else, and I really did want to get to know my mother and the closest I could get to knowing her was by knowing the people who loved her. By the time I got back to my house I had decided to stay with Connor, at least for a little while.
It was a good thing I decided that, because my sneak-thief cousin was already at my house and in the process of dumping my bags into the Jeep I had seen earlier at his house.
“You do realize it is illegal to break into someone’s house, don’t you?”
“Come off it, I was expediting the moving process. Are these all your things?” He gestured to my bags.
�
��I haven’t agreed to move in yet, you know.”
“Like that’s necessary. Now, get in the car… unless you want to walk.” And he started pulling out of the driveway, causing me to use my grownup words and quickly run to the car door.
“Why do we have to be related?” I moaned while getting into the car, ignoring him when he started laughing at me even though I was secretly enjoying his behavior. It made me feel normal. “How’d you know I was going to say yes?”
“I didn’t. I was going to convince you if you tried to refuse though. How was the beach?” He glanced sideways at me.
Casual conversation wasn’t something I usually partook of, but Cash didn’t know that, so I gave it a try.
“The beach was great. What time is it? I must have been there for hours. It was so relaxing.” I really had no idea what time it was, but my internal clock was saying it was about four p.m., and my internal clock was usually right.
“It’s about six o’clock. I decided to come pick you up a little early to make sure you were all right, and so you could wash the ocean off of you.”
“Six already?... I’m fine. I mean, it feels really strange to be moving in with you guys, but I’m fine. And a shower sounds great, thanks.” I was confused for a moment about how he knew I’d been to the beach, but considering the size of the island and the direction I’d come from I supposed even Cash had that much common sense.
“I guess it would be weird to be moving in with complete strangers, but we’re family,” he said as he waved out the window at a passing car he must have recognized.
“Hah, Cash, it’s actually more weird that I’m moving in with family. I’ve moved into a lot of strangers’ houses; I’m used to that. Family, however, is completely new. It’s bizarre,” I told him.
“That sucks so bad,” he said.
“What does?”
“I dunno. The fact that living with strangers is normal for you, and living with family isn’t. How nonchalantly you just said that. It really must have sucked growing up.”
Luckily he had just pulled into the driveway so I had a good excuse not to respond.
Ellis was walking up the stairs with her arms full of linens when we walked in the door.
“Oh good, Cash, you found her. Are you okay, Della?”
“Uh, yeah. I wasn’t missing or anything.” I immediately regretted my words, afraid that I was being rude. Maybe she thought I would have gotten lost walking back to my house this morning or something. Or maybe mothers are just naturally that over protective of actual family members. Either way her concern for me was a good thing.
The rest of the evening was like an episode from “The Twilight Zone”. I was shown my room, which had windows covered in white lace curtains and a light blue quilt covering the bed, took a shower that felt great on my sun-exposed skin, ate dinner at exactly 6:30 p.m. where everyone asked about each other’s day, and went to bed to a chorus of “goodnights”… so strange, right?
I stayed up for a little while reading some of the journals that were in the safety-deposit box, trying to get used to the sounds in the house, especially the exclamations coming from Cash downstairs as he played the latest “Call of Duty”. Eventually my eyes fluttered shut while I was still clutching the journal of one Llewellyn G. Deare.
CHAPTER SEVEN
June 18th, 1968
Dear Journal,
How do I get Anise to pay attention to her lessons? Today was the third time this week she has skipped our lesson together, and I’m reaching the end of my patience with her. She was with the oldest Neale boy again, and so upset that I was able to find them! Of course, if she didn’t skip our lessons so frequently, she would know, not only how I could find her, but also how to hide her own presence from me. Finding is one of the easiest ways to use our powers, followed closely by Hiding.
I am happy to see her friendship with L blossom into romance, I just wish they would take their futures more seriously, but I suppose that is typical of youth. She is reaching the age when she will be tested as heir, the age when I must introduce her to the Timeless Ones so that she may have years of experience when dealing with their ways before stepping into my shoes as matriarch of this family. The Neales are getting ready to introduce L’s younger brother; L went through the process a couple of years ago and I’m hoping to have Anise ready by that time so that she will not have their undivided attention. The less individual attention they pay to our children, the better. The last few times I’ve tried divining from wind I’ve gotten unsettling whispers, the type of whispers that makes me worry about my daughter being in the presence of the Elfennol for too long. I’m especially glad that she is falling in love already; it makes me hopeful that these whispers are wrong.
“You owe me a dollar.” Those words, followed quickly by a decorative pillow, were my morning wakeup call.
“How are you awake right now?” I groaned to my intrusive cousin, who seemed never to sleep.
I’d been staying with my aunt and uncle for two weeks, and Cash had been an annoying, bossy, overbearing nuisance… I secretly loved every minute of it. Even if he was causing me to roll my eyes so often I was afraid they’d fall out, he was also making me feel like I was a part of something. He had quickly wormed himself into the role of cousin, brother, and friend. I wasn’t sure what the differences between those roles were, but I was certain that Cash had become all three for me.
“I don’t owe you anything.” I told him when his words finally sank in, then I noticed him rifling through my few belongings in my dresser. “Hold up, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Yes, you do. A dollar. Is this the only bathing suit you have?” As always, he completely ignored my privacy, and question, and had rummaged through my drawers until he found the bathing suit I had bought my first day in town.
I’d worn it every day these past weeks since I couldn’t get enough of the beach, and was in desperate need of a new one; I hadn’t forgotten that I’d exposed myself to an entire ocean of sea creatures because of that thing, but wasn’t sure a new bathing suit would be any different.
“No I don’t and yes that is. What’s wrong with it?”
“There aren’t any straps on it, doesn’t it fall off? You don’t have to be back up at the house until later, right?” My brain just could not keep up with him.
“Uh, no. The roofers were finished up yesterday and the electricians can’t come out until late morning to get started. And the strap is right there! It comes off.”
Cash wasn’t the only thing that had given me headaches the past weeks. I’d been going full steam into the house repairs, which meant phone calls and work quotes and walk-throughs. There wasn’t even anything I could physically do yet and I was still exhausted from it all.
“Well, hurry up! We’re going to the beach in five minutes!” He threw the bathing suit at me and strode out the door to his room across the hall, not bothering to close my bedroom door behind him.
He had said the only thing that would actually get me out of bed and into that swim suit without fighting with him. I didn’t want him to know that though, so I still grumbled pretty loudly at him. Had to keep up appearances, and all.
I actually beat him outside, but that’s only because I didn’t tell him we were racing and took the steps two at a time to get to the door before him.
“I win!”
“You would have if you’d gotten to the jeep before me… but you didn’t,” he said as he was getting into his vehicle while I was busy sticking my tongue at him.
“I didn’t know we were driving. No fair.”
“I didn’t know we were racing, and I still won. Hah.” But he eased his gloating by handing me a muffin, which I ate quickly before putting on my sunscreen in the car.
The reason we drove was attached to the roof of the car. As soon as we pulled into the parking space Cash pulled down a surfboard covered in art and started walking down the beach towards the water. I really hoped he wouldn’t make me try and rid
e that thing, so I remained silent as he knelt in the sand rubbing something that looked like a bar of soap over his board, hoping he’d forget I was there. I’d been down here a couple of times each day and surfing looked so cool. And impossible. I was mesmerized watching all the surfers ride a wave as easily as a cowboy rides a horse. While standing. Sexy, sun-kissed cowboys. Well, except Cash. Gross.
Either way, the very idea of surfing was intimidating.
While I was mentally preparing an argument to sit this one out in case Cash insisted I try it, I noticed a shadow on the sand signifying someone was standing behind me. The change in light made Cash look up from his board rubbing and grin at whoever was behind me.
He had his back to the rising sun, which made it a little difficult to see his face, and the only thing that I could definitely make out about him was that his teeth were very very white. When he stepped closer I noticed his dark hair, streaked from sun exposure with a creamy caramel color, and his warm skin tone. His copper-brown eyes were crinkled in a returning smile, and I had to struggle not to take a step back. The hunky sun-kissed wave-cowboys had nothing on this guy, and the perfect musculature on his bare chest made me a little uncomfortable.
His presence made my shoulders tense and my eyes narrow, and not just because he was pretty. It was because he was a guy, and with the exception of Cash I’d had way too many bad experiences with guys, so my guard was up. For some reason my lack of parents made most boys think I was the type of girl to ask out in secret, never introduce to the friends and parents, and then get mad at when I don’t put out. Nothing like being a foster kid to give you a bad reputation.
“Dove, man, how’s the surf today?” Cash asked, raising his hand up for a fist bump.
“Haven’t been out yet, but it looks pretty good. So, is this her?” The guy, Dove, nodded in my direction.
